Ditka Will Return

Some Bears Won`t

The changes Mike Ditka promised after his third early exit in four Super Bowl tournaments will not require a moving van at Halas Hall.

Not even Dennis McKinnon necessarily talked his way off the Bears after Sunday`s 21-17 loss to the Washington Redskins, Ditka said.

Ditka admitted it is ``questionable`` that McKinnon will be back after criticizing Ditka`s play-calling and saying he was unhappy. But Ditka and President Michael McCaskey said no decisions will be made on personnel until extensive staff review.

``It`s ridiculous to expect wholesale changes,`` Ditka said.

``We will not depart from our sense of giving an unusual degree of freedom to people to speak their minds,`` McCaskey said, exercising more restraint than his disgruntled employee.

Ditka envisioned as many as four different starters, which would be normal transition. The Bears had five different starters at the beginning of this season, although there were only two new faces.

``We will face the stark fact of not having enough dollars to cover all of the salary expectations of the players,`` McCaskey said. ``We`ll figure out who we most need to have and try to make sure we do all we can to get those folks.

``We`ve seen some of the early proposals from players` agents and I know how much money is on hand to pay players, and it doesn`t match up.``

The degree of freedom the ``free agents`` will enjoy depends on the current court case of the Players Association, but it is safe to assume that owners will figure out some way to avoid total free agency.

``I have no desire to call plays. I`ve done it my way and I`m willing to back off. We haven`t won the big games,`` Ditka said.

Receivers and quarterback coach Greg Landry will assume a bigger role in play selection.

``He was a quarterback,`` Ditka said.

There will be no changes in coaching staff or front-office personnel.

``I have total confidence in the coaching staff,`` said Ditka, who never has fired an assistant.

``There will be no changes in (front office) people,`` said McCaskey, who fired General Manager Jerry Vainisi a year ago.

If McKinnon, Otis Wilson or anyone else is unhappy, Ditka will offer them new employment.

``It`s imperative to be happy wherever you are, and I don`t think they`re very happy men,`` Ditka said.

``He said he would evaluate and let some people know whether their face is good around here,`` Wilson said. ``No doubt about it, I enjoy it here in Chicago. I want to play here in Chicago, but I don`t want to be unhappy in Chicago. When he makes his decision, I`ll make mine.``

Some players will not be offered new contracts, McCaskey said. The obvious one is reserve quarterback Steve Fuller, who spent the year on an injured list but cost the Bears $400,000.

Quarterback Jim Harbaugh will go to training camp and compete with Mike Tomczak for the No. 2 job.

``Realistically, there`s no question Jim McMahon will be the starting quarterback,`` Ditka said. ``I hope it ends that he gets hurt, but it hasn`t ended. That would provide an opportunity for somebody else, whether it`s Jim Harbaugh or Mike Tomczak.``

There will be little or no pursuit of a veteran quarterback. Before last year`s draft, the Bears made a bid for Tampa Bay`s Steve Young, but lost out to the San Francisco 49ers because of money when the rich 49ers paid off most of Young`s original $1 million signing bonus.

McMahon will be one of six players to undergo surgery in the off-season. He needs an arthroscopic cleaning of the A/C joint of his right shoulder.

``Nothing like what he went through before,`` said trainer Fred Caito.

McMahon struggled through Sunday`s game after receiving a painkilling shot in his sore right hamstring. A pinched nerve in his left shoulder compounded his problems.